Qa'ra, The Ancient One
Qa'ra is the ancient vampire who brought across LaCroix's mortal daughter Divia, who in turn brought across LaCroix. As revealed in the flashback to "A More Permanent Hell", in 79 A.D., when Divia was desperately ill, her mother, Selene, brought to her a healer named Qa'ra (an "ancient one", as she put it). His cure for the girl was bringing her over. Some time later, Qa'ra tried to control her as her master, and Divia killed him. She then placed what was left of his corpse in a sarcophagus in an Egyptian tomb—the same tomb where LaCroix eventually imprisoned Divia herself by sealing her corpse in a sarcophagus marked with the symbol of Ra. Qa'ra was a vampire already ancient in the first century A.D. Indeed, he is described as having lived "long before the pyramids at Giza were built". If not hyperbole, this would make him over 2500 years old at the time of his true death, since the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis, the pyramid of Khufu, was completed around 2560 BC (4th Dynasty, Old Kingdom). Qa'ra could therefore easily have been 4,900 years old or more. Fan Speculation about Qa'ra Very little is known about who Qa'ra was in either his mortal or vampire life. Fans have therefore tried to fill in the gaps. Qa'ra's Name The most likely translation of Qa'ra's name is "Spirit of Ra". Ra worship began and grew in Heliopolis (called Iunu, "Place of Pillars", in Egyptian) during the Second Dynasty, Old Kingdom (approximately from 2890 to 2686 BC). Qa'ra may have been a priest in the cult of Ra or a member of the Egyptian nobility before being brought across. Ra is the ancient Egyptian god of the mid-day sun. The meaning of the name is uncertain, but it is thought that if not a word for 'sun' it may be a variant of 'creator'. He was believed to rule in all parts of the created world (the sky, the earth, and the underworld). All forms of life were believed to have been created by Ra, who called each of them into existence by speaking their secret names. Humans were created from Ra's tears. In a daily cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth, Ra was thought to travel on a journey through the sky and the underworld on two solar boats called the Mandjet (morning boat) and the Mesektet (evening boat). Qa'ra's Profession In 79 A.D., the chosen profession of Qa'ra The Ancient One was healer. Doctors in pharaonic Egypt used medication along with prayers, rituals, and magic spells to heal the sick. It was believed that the medication alone would not work unless the proper gods were invoked and appeased. Therefore doctors also had to be priests. Qa'ra's profession in his vampire existence may have been learned during his mortal lifetime. Qa'ra's Human Background From his name, one can speculate that Qa'ra was a member of the royal household before being brought across, perhaps even a prince. Pharaohs were seen to be Ra's manifestations on earth, referred to as "Sons of Ra" which was reflected in their pharaonic names (Examples: Djedefra "Enduring like Re", Khafra "Appearing like Re", and Menkaura "Eternal like the Souls of Re".) Qa'ra as "an Ancient" Some fans speculate that Qa'ra was one of the first vampires. Those who, in their fan fiction, elaborate on vampire history, sometimes ascribe to him (and his line) an adherence to "old" vampire traditions, and may elaborate upon his family line with additional members besides Divia, LaCroix, and LaCroix's descendants. Fans may also distinguish between "ancient" vampires and younger ones—which may or may not include vampires from LaCroix's era, but certainly includes Nick Knight and anyone younger than he is. "Ancient" vampires are often treated as more powerful, often with unusual abilities. This ties with LaCroix's return in "Killer Instinct", when he had apparently been burned to death in "Dark Knight: The Second Chapter": he ascribed it to being "too old and powerful" to die like that. It also ties in with Divia's survival in "Ashes to Ashes", after LaCroix had beheaded her and she had spent two thousand years entombed. Both fire and beheading canonically kill vampires; and it is therefore to their status as "ancients" that their survival is ascribed. Episodes of Significance * Mentioned without name in A More Permanent Hell * Mentioned by name in Ashes to Ashes Fan Fiction The following are works of fan fiction in which Qa'ra appears among the characters. Category:Known Vampires Category:Mentioned Characters Category:Recurring Characters Category:Characters in Flashbacks